I think the friendly against Denmark illustrate why England will never succeed with Roy Hodgson as manager. He is the David Moyes of Interna...
I think the friendly against Denmark illustrate why England will never succeed with Roy Hodgson as manager. He is the David Moyes of International football.
If you are going to choose a block of players from a club side then at least use them in the way they are playing for their club - if it is the intention to benefit from how they are playing for their club.
Hodgson is waaaaay too negative and defence minded to pick and play the players in a manner that will let them win in an attractive way. We are not Italy, grounded over decades of playing solid defence and counter-attack. Shaw and Lallana showed great understanding and working together and should be picked as a tandem. Baines and Cole are great but the combination of Shaw and Lallana is greater than the sum of its parts and all that. Same with Sturridge and Sterling. Sterling on the right, Sturridge in the centre.
Rooney has no understanding with anyone else. Even Welbeck played better than Rooney. But Rooney should be dropped in favour of Barkley, if we are looking for someone in the hole.
The thing about Barkley, when I watch him play, is that he is always looking for a pass to a teammate in a better position and more often than not, makes it. Rooney is usually looking to how he can do something first and only looks for a teammate second, losing the momentum and surprise and sucking the speed out of any attack.
No matter how pacey Sterling, Sturridge, Townsend, etc, are, it requires a quick pass into space ahead of the player to continue the momentum - which is Barkley (sometimes Wilshere) but not Rooney.
But Hodgson will play Rooney, not just because he is high profile but because he will track back, run around in midfield and would seem the 'safer' bet.
Gerrard may also not be the best in the role, but the team may require some leadership but Hodgson will play him because it is the 'safe' bet. Having said that, our media are partially to blame. Doing anything even remotely adventurous that fails, is clobbered by the same media knocking them for being safe. But in the end, if you are trying to win a competition, you might as well go for it and take the others by surprise.
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